About ISR
About ISR
ISR Self-Rescue® lessons are private, individualized survival swimming lessons designed to give infants and young children developmentally appropriate skills they can use if they unexpectedly find themselves in the water.
Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) pioneered survival swimming instruction for infants and young children in 1966. Since then, ISR has provided millions of lessons to hundreds of thousands of children, with its mission, “Not One More Child Drowns,” at the heart of the program.
What Will My Child Learn?
Every child is different, which means every ISR lesson is individualized based on your child’s age, development, abilities, and progress.
Depending on your child’s developmental readiness, they will work toward one of two primary Self-Rescue® skill sets:
Rollback-to-Float
Younger children learn to independently roll onto their back, find their float, rest, and breathe—giving them a position they can maintain until help arrives.
Swim-Float-Swim
Older and more mobile children learn to swim independently, roll back to float when they need air, rest and breathe, and then return to swimming. They repeat this sequence as needed while working toward reaching safety.
These skills are built progressively and at your child’s individual pace.
Why Is ISR Different?
ISR isn’t a group swim class or a one-size-fits-all program.
Lessons are:
Private and one-on-one
Up to 10 minutes long
Held consistently throughout the week
Individualized to the child in the water
Focused on building real skills through repetition and progressive learning
Your child’s Instructor is continually watching how they respond, what they’ve retained, what they’re ready to learn next, and how instruction should be adjusted.
The goal isn’t simply for a child to become comfortable in the water. It’s for them to develop the skills and confidence to know what to do in the water.
Safety & Instructor Training
Safety is central to the ISR program.
Before beginning lessons, each student completes ISR’s registration process, which includes health and developmental information. This allows ISR and your Instructor to consider information relevant to your child before lessons begin and follow established ISR safety protocols throughout their session.
Certified ISR Instructors complete specialized academic and in-water training before independently teaching students. Training includes ISR teaching methodology, child development, behavioral principles, physiology, safety protocols, and individualized instruction.
Instructors also participate in ongoing education and recertification requirements to maintain their certification.
Confidence Through Competence
One of the principles I value most about ISR is that confidence follows competence.
We don’t need to rush children into appearing comfortable in the water. Instead, we help them develop real skills, learn how their bodies work in the water, and build confidence from what they discover they are capable of doing.
As both a Certified ISR Instructor and Aquatic Behavioral Specialist, I individualize instruction not only to the skill being taught, but to the child learning it.
Some children are fearless. Some are cautious. Some cry. Some need more time.
There is no single personality or learning style a child needs to have to be successful in ISR.
We build confidence through competence.
One Important Layer of Protection
ISR Self-Rescue skills are an important layer of water safety—but they are still just one layer.
Swimming and Self-Rescue skills never replace active adult supervision, physical barriers, locks and alarms, appropriate life jackets, CPR preparedness, or other water-safety practices.
No child is drown-proof.
Our goal is to give children another layer of skill while the adults around them continue providing the other layers of protection they need.
Learn more about our Layers of Protection:
https://www.safeswimisr.com/layersofprotection
Ready to Learn More?
If you’re considering Self-Rescue lessons for your child, the next step is to review our FAQs. You’ll find more information about how lessons work, scheduling, what to expect, and answers to common parent questions.
SELF-RESCUE FAQs:
https://www.safeswimisr.com/faqs-3
If ISR sounds like the right fit for your family, join the Safe Swim waitlist. Once you join, you’ll receive access to current program pricing, upcoming session dates, and available lesson times.
And remember—joining the waitlist doesn’t necessarily mean you have to wait! If there is currently an available session and time that works for your family, you’ll have the opportunity to reserve it.
JOIN THE SAFE SWIM WAITLIST:
https://www.safeswimisr.com/contact-us